1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to games and, more particularly, to an improved sports game and shuttlecock for use with the game.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous types of games using balls or shuttlecocks hit by a racquet are known. If a shuttlecock is used, it is usually made with a cork or rubber nosecone and a tail of feathers or plastic. The known games are played by a number of persons who hit a ball or shuttlecock over a net on a lawn, in a backyard, on a court or other similar areas. In such known games, however, the playing area is usually arranged around a net and the item being struck normally has a predetermined course because of its size, shape and aerodynamic characteristics.
Applicant is unaware of any game that uses a xe2x80x9cflyzone xe2x80x9d where the players cannot enter, and which uses a shuttlecock having flexible fins and a piston incorporated therein.
Therefore, there remains the need in the art for a new game utilizing racquets to hit a shuttlecock through a xe2x80x9cflyzonexe2x80x9d, and which provides the user with extended periods of enjoyment. Furthermore, the shuttlecock of the present invention holds up during play when hit with a racquet, and includes a base having a piston therein, as well as flexible, shaped tail portions to vary the flight of the shuttlecock during play, depending on how struck, the movement of the piston in the base, and the prevailing weather conditions.
Accordingly, It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved and novel sports game using a novel shuttlecock. It is a particular object of the present invention to provide an improved sports game played in a defined xe2x80x9cflyzonexe2x80x9d. It is a further particular object of the present invention to provide a new game playable with racquets and a special shuttlecock wherein the players must stay out of a marked-off playing area or xe2x80x9cflyzonexe2x80x9d on a surface. It is still a more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved shuttlecock having an aerodynamically shaped, flexible tail thereon. It is yet a more particular object of the present invention to provide an improved shuttlecock having a base formed therewith, which base includes a piston member to aid in control of movement of the shuttlecock, after the shuttlecock is struck by a racquet. It is still a further particular object of the present invention to provide an improved shuttlecock having a base and tail thereon, which tail is formed from a plurality of identically shaped elements to enable the shuttlecock to be used with different racquets and in different weather conditions to provide better control of the shuttlecock. And, it is a further particular object of the present invention to play a game in which players utilizing racquets hit an improved shuttlecock back and forth through a defined xe2x80x9cflyzone xe2x80x9d marked-off on a surface, until a winner is determined by the player or players having the highest score during a single game or a set of games.
The game of the present invention is played by marking-off or staking-out a xe2x80x9cflyzonexe2x80x9d area utilizing telescoping corner poles. The marked-off or staked-out area is preferably rectangular, approximately forty (40) feet by twenty (20) feet to form two (2) end boundaries or field goals through which the shuttlecock must be hit.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a shuttlecock having a base secured to a tail. The base is preferably hollow and includes means to hold a piston therein. The tail is comprised of a plurality of specifically shaped flexible elements secured to the base so as to form a shuttlecock having unique movements when struck by a racquet.
The object of the game of the present invention is to hit the shuttlecock through end boundaries or field goals formed by the corner poles without entering the xe2x80x9cflyzonexe2x80x9d formed by the poles and for the opposite player or players to return the shuttlecock through at least the field goal from which the shuttlecock was hit. The challenge is how many times the players can hit the shuttlecock back and forth without making a mistake. To aid in playing the game, only underhand or slow serving is permitted, so as to allow the shuttlecock to get into play.
The game starts by a serve, when any one of the players serves the shuttlecock through the field goals to another player behind the opposite field goal. After the serve and during play, 2 or more players hit the shuttlecock back and forth through the opposed field goals during a rally. The amount of time the shuttlecock is hit back and forth during the rally is timed, and if one of the players does not return the shuttlecock to the other, the other player is awarded a number of points, dependent on the time the shuttlecock has been hit back and forth during the rally. Play continues until a player reaches a predetermined number of points to win the game. The players then play a predetermined number of games, and the winning player will be determined by the winner of the majority of games in a match or a set, or when a predetermined number of points is reached. For example, the first player to win three games wins the match or set, or the first player to reach say one thousand points wins. The players alternate serving each game.